Fast Food Companies Look to Their Consumers for Advertising

Summary: Marketing is like gambling; some ideas pay off while others don’t. Generally, a strategy that involves the customer will lead to more opportunities and increased loyalty.

The way our society consumes content today is far and reaching. The same goes for how we consume food. Food marketers are trying to merge the two in order to get the best results. An unconventional approach has worked for some companies to build a conversation with consumers.

Chipotle is one such company that has built its advertising around their customers. Their 2014 marketing idea was “Cultivating Thought” where they teamed up with best-selling authors to print short stories on their cups and to-go bags. This plan gave customers something enjoyable to read teamed up with products worthy of a Facebook post or Instagram photo. They were also able to capture consumer data from the social media activity.

Chipotle went even farther to launch their “Cultivate Festival” in 2015. This strategy allowed consumers to use an app and survey where they gave feedback on recipes from attendees in return for a free burrito bowl. The festival took place in Phoenix, Kansas City, and Minneapolis. They had live music, educational exhibits, and food. They will use the feedback to alter recipes as needed.

Domino’s has also crossed the barrier into connecting with their customers with their Domino’s Anyware one-step ordering system. Customers could tweet or text the pizza emoji and get a pizza delivered to them. The marketing strategy clearly targeted their main demographic of Millennials.

Whenever a company is able to blend technology with their products, they will be ready for greater success in today’s society. Allowing customers the opportunity to be creative in exchange for some kind of reward will allow for better collection of data and greater feedback from the customers.

Source: http://www.adweek.com/brandshare/unconventional-content-marketing-helped-these-fast-food-brands-inspire-consumers-166564

Photo: cultivatingthought.com